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- Northstar and Diamond Peak races
What a gorgeous weekend we had with warm, sunny spring weather and great racing conditions
for our 3-day weekend at Northstar and Diamond Peak! Friday's SG races at Northstar featured
two fun courses on the Loggers Loop-Surprise course and the day featured numerous big smiles
as racers hit the finish line. Both races also count for the
2024 National Speed Series,
so we were happy to have racers from Pacific Northwest, Intermountain, and Rocky joining our
crew from Far West.
Racing shifted to nearby Diamond Peak for a pair of SL races on the weekend.
We haven't raced at Diamond Peak for a number years so it was a pleasure to bring this venue back
onto our race calendar. The weather was fabulous, the views spectacular, and the Diamond Peak
race crew ran an outstanding pair of races for us on the Showoff SL track.
In addition to our out-of-division guest racers lured by the Speed Series, it was great to have
a number of new Far West masters racers in the field. We can't promise the same lovely weather
for all our events, but we hope it was a good introduction to masters racing that will bring
them back for more.
The Diamond Peak SL races were also the site for 2024 Viva Italia event, with the trophy
awarded to the top man and woman racer in the combined standings using an age-handicap formula.
The Viva Italia has a legendary history from founder John Gianotti and he would have appreciated
the fantastic conditions we had to celebrate his spirited attitude that ski racing is fun for all ages.
The tentative Viva Italia winners were announced at the post-race awards, pending final age handicap
computations when the completed race data was available, and the confirmed 2024 Viva Italia winners
are Deb Lewis (W09) and Tim Hill (M08).
Complete race results from the SL races at Diamond Peak are
posted on the web site on the Race Results page.
We don't yet have the results data we need to post the Northstar SG results, but as soon as we receive
those race files we'll post updated Season Standings rankings for 2024.
[18-Mar-2024]
- Northstar, Diamond Peak race info
Our next races are two SG's at Northstar on Friday Mar. 15, followed by weekend SL races
at nearby Diamond Peak on Mar. 16-7.
Race registration is open on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com.
The early registration deadline is Sun 3/10;
registration closes at ** 8pm Wed 3/13 ** for both events.
See the Diamond Peak event announcement for details on racer lift tickets and link for
signing the required waiver form. We don't yet have those details for Northstar but
will add to the event information as soon as we can confirm the logistics with the Northstar organizers.
** BREAKING NEWS: Thu SL training at Diamond Peak
Diamond Peak will have a SL training day on Thursday Mar. 14, prior to the weekend races.
Cost is $175 for the day, including lift ticket as well as training.
This is a great chance to get in a day of SL training and check out the race hill,
which may be a new venue for many of us.
Sign up for Diamond Peak SL training on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com ASAP so we can
get a head count estimate of those interested. Details to follow soon on whether we'll
charge via ASR or go through a Diamond Peak site to handle payment.
[09-Mar-2024]
- Alpine SL races
Well, it was a beautiful day for racing at Alpine Meadows, after the previous
weekend's blizzard that shut down most of Tahoe and Mammoth for several days.
Unfortunately there was a slight delay when the entire ski area lost power
for 1-1/2 hours just as racers were starting to inspect the first run course.
Thankfully, the power came back on and lifts started running again before we lost our race day!
The efficient Alpine Meadows crew provided us with a good race day despite the late start.
While there had been concerns about soft snow earlier in the week, racer reports
were that the courses held up well throughout the field.
Due to the late time and the long, tiring day for athletes and crew, the jury
decided to shorten the second race to a 1-run SL.
Complete race results are
posted on the web site on the Race Results page
along with the updated Season Standings rankings for 2024.
[09-Mar-2024]
- Mt Rose GS races cancelled
We are very disappointed to share the news that the Mt Rose organizers
contacted us this afternoon and have cancelled the GS races scheduled
for Saturday Mar. 9. Their assessment of the snow conditions today on the Slide Mountain
side of Mt Rose after last weekend's major blizzard that shut down most of the Tahoe
region for several days is that the snow is too deep and too soft to be able to
prepare for racing GS on Saturday.
We WILL be racing SL at Alpine Meadows on Friday as planned.
[06-Mar-2024]
- March Forerunner newsletter
The March issue of the Forerunner newsletter is out!
Stories and pictures from our February races and upcoming March events, tips for Far West coaches,
and reports from athletes sponsored by our Far West Masters Scholarship Program.
To catch up on recent issues or dive into past season archives, visit the Forerunner newsletter page:
[04-Mar-2024]
- Alpine and Mt Rose race reminders
Reminders for our races this week on Friday Mar. 8 with two SL races at
Palisades Tahoe/Alpine Meadows and Saturday Mar. 9 for rescheduled Mt Rose McKinney Cup GS races.
Competitor release waivers are REQUIRED at both venues and should be submitted
online in advance.
Alpine Meadows is an Ikon pass resort. Racer lift ticket for both areas can be purchased
online:
Race registration is open on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com.
The early registration deadline is Sun 3/3;
registration closes at ** 8pm Wed 3/6 ** for both events.
[02-Mar-2024]
- Alpine and Mt Rose races info
Our next races will be a double-doubleheader weekend
on Friday Mar. 8 with two SL races at Palisades Tahoe/Alpine Meadows,
followed on Saturday Mar. 9 by the rescheduled Mt Rose McKinney Cup GS races.
Race registration is open on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com.
The early registration deadline is Sun 3/3;
registration closes at ** 8pm Wed 3/6 ** for both events.
*** NOTE: we are NOT carrying over the original registrations for Mt Rose
on Feb 10 to the Mar 9 reschedule date - we can't assume that everyone signed up originally
will be able to compete in the rescheduled event. If you were entered on the original
race date of Feb. 10, you must RE-REGISTER for the rescheduled Mar. 9 races!!
[27-Feb-2024]
- Mt Rose races rescheduled
We regret to have to announce that the Mt Rose GS races planned for this
Saturday Feb. 10 are being rescheduled. Mt Rose has determined that the snow
conditions will be too soft for racing.
Rose has agreed to reschedule the event to Sat. Mar. 9, which fits well with our
scheduled SL races on Friday Mar. 8 at Alpine Meadows. More details
will be provided soon.
[07-Feb-2024]
- Mt Rose race info
Our next races are coming up in just over a week with a GS doubleheader at Mt. Rose
on Sat Feb. 10, with the annual McKinney Cup trophy awarded to the fastest overall man and women.
Mt. Rose is a favorite venue of many with a great GS hill that provides challenging racing.
Race registration is open on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com.
The early registration deadline is Sun 2/2;
registration closes at ** 6pm PT Thu 2/8 **.
(Note the earlier than usual close of registration!!)
Open class reminder: if you want to compete in Open class, contact scoring director
Deb Lewis at dlewis@farwestmasters.org BEFORE close of registration on Thursday evening.
(We can't accept any late requests for this event, sorry). The current list of Open class
competitors is posted on the web site, so if this is your first race of the season and you
want to compete in Open let Deb know ASAP.
- January 30 Forerunner newsletter
After a slow start to the ski season, things finally picked up in January
and we had a first races of the season at Mammoth Mountain.
The new January issue of the Forerunner newsletter is now out with January racing news
along with the President's Message, racing information,
and the new "Coach's Corner" articles from coaches of our masters training
programs around the Far West.
To catch up on recent issues or dive into past season archives, visit the Forerunner newsletter page:
[30-Jan-2024]
- Mammoth GS races
And finally we have racing to kick off the 2024 season!
This weekend we held our first races of the 2024 season with two GS races at Mammoth.
And just to ensure we provide a complete spectrum of the racing experience,
there were weather delays and schedule adjustments (on top of the originally scheduled
SG/DH speed races having been changed to GS races).
Saturday morning arrived gloomy and with fresh snow from a small storm on Friday night
that "overdelivered" and lingered through the day. Mammoth Race Department crews were on
the race hill early to prepare and set the course, but after an hour delay the jury met
and determined to postpone the race to Sunday when better weather conditions were expected.
So no racing Saturday, but we had the afternoon party at Main Street Pizza and heard
reports that there was some good freesking found in the fresh snow! We were pleased
to welcome a number of new racers (11 new racers for our opening weekend), along with
visiting racer Joel Swanson from Central division.
Sunday's weather cleared up, as anticipated, and the expert Mammoth race crew efficiently
ran both GS races to kick off our racing season.
Complete race results are
posted on the web site on the Race Results page
along with the first Season Standings rankings for 2024.
[22-Jan-2024]
- 2024 Open Class and Season Scoring
Far West Masters races are conducted following the standard US masters age class rules.
An additional option is used by Far West Masters in our division races, allowing competitors
to elect to be scored in an Open class drawn from all age classes rather than their
age class for race awards and season scoring.
All competitors start within their age group in the race start order but may elect to be
scored for race awards based on the overall ranking of Open class participants rather
than within their age class. The season leader bibs are awarded based on the rankings of the Open class.
Note: due to limited racing in the 2023 "snowpocalypse" season, the 2023 season leader bibs
are carried over for 2024 so that competitors have a chance to wear the season bibs they earned
with their season results in 2022!
The 2024 Open class elections list is started with all current season bib holders registered by default.
Everyone else (including "the usual folks") need to explicitly elect to participate in Open class.
It's your choice - no one is obligated or expected to elect Open class - go Open if you'll have fun doing that,
stay in your age class for scoring and awards if you're happy with the standard age class system.
To elect Open class, contact scoring director Deb Lewis at dlewis@farwestmasters.org.
Open class participants will be noted on start lists with "OP" designation and when possible on the finish board so that
all competitors know who is competing within their age class and who is being scored in the overall Open class.
IMPORTANT REMINDER:
to participate in the Open class for any event, you MUST elect Open
no later than the noon the day prior to the race.
Day-of-race Open class changes will not be accepted!
[17-Jan-2024]
- Mammoth SG races changed to GS
Unfortunately, the weather over the past week has not cooperated with our
plan to run SG races this weekend - less snow and more wind than hoped for...
The upper section of the SG course still has exposed areas without enough coverage
for setting a SG course along with the necessary safety fencing.
Given the current conditions and no significant storms forecast in the next few days,
we are changing the weekend event program from 2 SG races each day
to one GS race each day on Sat/Sun 1/20-21. There is good coverage from snowmaking
on the primary front-side race hills (Fascination and ADG), so the GS venues are
in good condition for racing.
Registration updates: we will change all race signups on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com
for the first races each day (SG #1 on Sat, SG #3 on Sun) from SG to GS, with entry fee adjusted
to $45. Entries for the second race each day (SG #2 on Sat, SG #4 on Sun) will be dropped.
Open Training Friday Mammoth will provide an open training
session for all racers on Friday 11am-12:30pm.
Early registration deadline is extended to Wednesday night 1/17
so that racers who wish to sign up for GS are not penalized by the program change.
We want as many possible to be able to race this weekend!!
IMPORTANT: if you only wanted to race SG and do not wish to compete in GS,
please drop your entries before registration closes on Thursday evening
(otherwise you will be charged as a no-show DNS, not what you would want!).
If you have questions or need assistance, contact us at raceadmin@farwestmasters.org and we'll do our best to help.
[Mon 1/15/24 XXam]
- Online Q&A for Granite Peak National Championships
The 2024 Masters National Championships are coming up quickly in just over 3 weeks from now!
An online Q&A zoom session is being held tonight at 5:30pm PT Sun. Jan 14
where you can learn more about host area Granite Peak WI and get your questions
answered about the venue and the event.
The session will be hosted by:
- Lauren Beckos - U.S. Ski & Snowboard Alpine Masters Manager
- Ryan Fuller - Alpine Masters National Working Group Chair
- Greg Fisher - General Manager of Granite Peak
Join the zoom call: Jan 14, 2024 6:30pm MT, 5:30pm PT
https://usskiandsnowboard-org.zoom.us/j/89615129549
Meeting ID: 896 1512 9549
One tap mobile +12532158782,,89615129549# US (Tacoma)
On Facebook: @usalpinemasters (https://www.facebook.com/usalpinemasters)
National Championships info on usskiandsnowboard.org/masters:
Early registration deadline is Monday Jan. 22; registration deadline Friday Feb. 2.
Cancellation deadline for full refund is Monday Jan. 29, so get your entries in now if you're considering competing.
[14-Jan-2024]
- Mammoth Speed Races Update - DH Cancelled
With great regret, the National Championship and NSS downhill races scheduled for Mon-Tue Jan. 22-23 at Mammoth Mountain have been cancelled. As most of you know, it's been a slow, dry start this winter in the Sierra with very little natural snowfall. Mammoth has done an amazing job with snowmaking and grooming in order to open a considerable amount of terrain, but with only a few relatively small storms so far in January the snowpack is still well below normal.
There is good manmade coverage on the primary race hills (Fascination and ADG), enabling racing and training. However, the upper sections of the speed track still have exposed rock areas and cannot yet support a suitable race surface with the necessary safety fencing. Following intensive discussions with Mammoth Race Department and Mountain Operations on current conditions and the weather outlook over the next two weeks, it was concluded that it would be nearly impossible to prepare the DH course for racing.
We still hope to be able to hold the scheduled Sat-Sun SG races on Jan. 20-21, if we can get some assistance from the weather fairy over the coming week. We will definitely be racing that weekend, but we may need to switch to GS if the full SG course cannot be properly prepared. We'll see how conditions evolve this week, with a couple more storm possibilities in the forecast keeping our hopes alive, and reassess again next Monday Jan.15.
Pending agreement of the Masters National Committee, we will count the two Sunday SG races for the National Speed Series in place of the cancelled DH races. Details will be confirmed as soon as possible, as we know racers have made travel plans based on the DH and NSS schedule and some are coming from other divisions.
No promises, but we will also explore the possibility of adding a SG training day on Friday Jan. 19 before the weekend races.
For everyone who made lodging reservations through the event lodging package ("USSA/FIS Far West DH/SG 2024"", Group ID: 34901), we are confirming the details but expect that you will be able to cancel and get a refund if you need to change your travel plans due to the changes in the event schedule.
If you have questions or need assistance, contact us at raceadmin@farwestmasters.org and we'll do our best to help.
[Mon 1/8/24 9pm]
- Race Signups and 2024 Major Events
Happy New Year to all, with a glad welcome to the late start of our winter season
finally showing signs of bringing us some much-needed snowfall.
Race signups are open on our masters.AdminSkiRacing.com registration site
for all of our 2024 Far West Masters events.
Registration is also open on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com for all of the 2024
regional and national championship events and the US FIS Masters races.
The schedule is a little unusual this year, with the national championships in February
to accomodate the FIS Masters World Criterium in early March at Kimberly British Columbia.
National Championships
The 2024 Masters National Championships will be held in Central Division (for the first time ever!)
at Granite Peak WI on Feb. 5-10. The 2024 nationals are a 4-event championship with SG, GS, SL, and a parallel GS.
There will also be a second SG race that is not part of the national championship scoring.
Both SG races are part of the 2024 National Speed Series.
FIS Masters Cup/Western Region Championships
The 2024 Western Championships will be held Feb. 23-25, 2024 at Beaver Creek CO.
The 2024 Western Region Championships are being held in conjunction with the FIS Masters Cup event
and will consist of 2 SG races, 2 one-run GS races, and SL. Both SG races also count in the 2024 National Speed Series
Eastern Region Championships
The 2024 Eastern Championships will be held Mar. 8-10, 2024 at Gore Mountain NY.
The Eastern championships are a 4-race SG-SG-GS-SL event. Both SG races also count in the 2024 National Speed Series standings.
FIS Masters World Criterium
Once every 5 years the FIS Masters World Criterium, a huge event on the international
masters calendar, comes to North America. This year the honor falls to Canada
and will be hosted at Kimberley, British Columbia CA on March 1-7, 2024.
US competitors must contact national Masters Manager Lauren Beckos at lauren.beckos@usskiandsnowboard.org
to submit their entries.
[08-Jan-204]
- January 2 Forerunner newsletter
Ring in the New Year - the storm door is finally showing signs of opening a crack and
newsletter editor Melissa House has put together the new January issue of the Forerunner newsletter.
Along with some of our traditional content such as the President's Message and racing information,
the new "Coach's Corner" articles have news from the head coaches of the masters training
programs around the Far West.
Happy New Year to everyone and let's all get together on the race hill soon!
[02-Jan-2024]
- Mammoth opening races cancelled
With regret, the decision was made this morning to cancel our scheduled opening GS/SL
races at Mammoth this coming weekend on Dec. 2-3. The planned race venue of Andy's Double Gold (ADG)
is the Mammoth Race Department's top priority for snowmaking and slope preparation right now
and good progress is clearly being made now that we (finally!!) have good snowmaking conditions, but
the assessment today is that it's not certain that we can achieve a good racing surface along with
enough coverage for the necessary safety fencing on the sides of the run in time for the races.
So nature is feeding us feast or famine - last season we had bountiful early snow (too much even!),
this season is starting off dry and warm everywhere in the Sierra. Mammoth has their snowmaking
crews going full blast and is working to open more runs each day, so there is some decent early season
freeskiing for any who had plans to come this week for camp or the races - definitely enough to get out
and make some turns.
Reminder from MRD: If you made lodging reservations for the race weekend at the Mammoth Mountain Inn or Juniper Springs,
and/or pre-purchased discounted lift tickets, please call (800) 626-6684 for all lodging and ticket cancellation requests.
Be sure to mention Group ID: 38497 (event ""USSA/FIS Early Season Races 2023") to your customer service representative to ease the process.
[27-Nov-2023]
- Mammoth Races Update
Some encouraging news from Mammoth today: additional terrain has been opening through this
holiday week and Mammoth Race Department reports that conditions are currently
favorable for snowmaking. MRD will continue to assess the safety aspect throughout the next few days
and send out another update on Monday, November 27th with the outlook for our masters season opening races.
Safety is obviously a priority, we need snow levels deep enough to set gates and fencing on the race venue.
We encourage everyone considering racing next weekend to get your entries in before the
Sunday night early registration deadline. There is no penalty for registering now, you
can still withdraw next week if your plans change, but it really helps the organizers and our
event planning to have a good estimate of the field size the week prior to the event.
So stop procrastinating, get your entries in now!
Race signups are open on our masters.AdminSkiRacing.com registration site.
Early registration deadline is Sun 11/26; registration closes
at 8pm PT Wed 11/29.
You can sign up for the races and also purchase your 2024 Far West Masters membership if you haven't
already done so.
[24-Nov-2024]
- Mammoth training camp cancelled
With regret, Mammoth Race Department has just announced the decision that our masters
training camp that was scheduled for next Tue-Fri Nov. 28-Dec. 1 is cancelled. The decision is made
based on "safety precautions, snow depths, and current warm temperatures impeding on our ability to make snow".
Disappointing news, though not entirely a surprise given the slow start to the winter season
for all our Sierra ski areas.
Reminder from MRD: If you made lodging reservations for the training camp at the Mammoth Mountain Inn or Juniper Springs,
and/or pre-purchased discounted lift tickets, please call (800) 626-6684 for all lodging and ticket cancellation requests.
Be sure to mention Group ID: 38497 to your customer service representative to ease the process.
Mammoth is currently open for skiing, though with limited terrain availability, so there is a least
an opportunity to get out and make some turns for any coming next week. MRD is planning to provide an update on the outlook
for our races the following weekend of Dec. 2-3 on this coming Friday Nov. 24.
[19-Nov-2023]
- Membership and Race Signups are open
Race signups for Far West Masters are opening this week on our masters.AdminSkiRacing.com registration site.
Signups for the season opening GS/SL races at Mammoth on Dec. 2-3 are now open and signups
for the rest of our scheduled races will be added this week.
Membership Reminders: you join or renew your Far West Masters membership by paying
dues for this season on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com. Create or log into your account,
just as you do for race signups, and purchase "2023-2024 Far West Masters membership" on the
Event Signup page. (Don't forget to go to checkout to complete your dues payment!)
Deadline for renewing members to avoid late fees is Nov. 15.
[06-Nov-2023]
- Mammoth Dec races and camp
Our opening event of the 2023-2024 Far West Masters season is only a month away!
We have Sat/Sun GS/SL races at Mammoth Mountain on Dec. 2-3, the weekend following
the Thanksgiving holiday. Mammoth is also hosting a 4-day GS/SL training camp
on Tue-Fri Nov. 29-Dec. 1 prior to the weekend races, which is good opportunity
to get on skis and get in some preseason race training to get warmed up.
See the event info announcement and training camp flyer for additional details.
Mammoth is offering a discounted lodging package for camp week and race weekend.
Race signups are now open on our masters.AdminSkiRacing.com registration site.
Early registration deadline is Sun 11/26; registration closes
at 8pm PT Wed 11/29.
You can sign up for the races and also purchase your 2024 Far West Masters membership if you haven't
already done so.
[06-Nov-2023]
- Gate DeMattei memorial service
It was with tremendous sadness that we received the news of the passing
of Gate DeMattei on September 26. We can genuinely say that Gate was admired,
loved, and respected. He will be deeply missed by the masters racing community
in Far West and around the nation.
Our October Forerunner included a story and photos of Gate, with memories from fellow
Far West Masters and his obituary can be found online
Funeral service and memorial gathering for Gate will be held on Thursday Oct. 12.
- 10am - viewing
- 11am - rosary and Mass - Corpus Christi Catholic Church, Tahoe City CA
- 2pm-6pm - memorial reception - Bar One - Olympic House, 1990 Olympic Vly Rd. Olympic Valley CA
[05-Oct-2023]
- Fall Forerunner newsletter
The fall issue of the Forerunner newsletter is out!
New Communications director Melissa House has pulled together a wealth
of information for the upcoming season, with the President's Message
from our new division chair Rees Palermo and including details
on the season race schedule, Far West Masters membership, and more.
And we are deeply sad to include a late-breaking report with the news of
the passing of Gate DeMattei in late September. Gate was a champion, a role model,
an inspiration for living a full and balanced life. He will be very greatly missed.
Note: the primary distribution method of the Forerunner newsletter will
be electronic publishing through our news email list and here on the web site.
All current members of Far West Masters should receive the newsletter. If you
have any questions, contact us at forerunner@farwestmasters.org for assistance.
[02-Oct-2023]
- 2024 Season Schedule
The 2023-2024 season schedule is now posted and the web site Season Schedule page updated.
Far West Masters membership will open in October on our Masters AdminSkiRacing registration site
and race signups will be added soon after.
[28-Sep-2023]
- Preliminary 2024 Schedule
The preliminary 2023-2024 race schedule is now available! Scheduling Director Mike Braun
has tried to put together a calendar with a good mix of events at proven venues.
The schedule has some unusual timing this season for some of our traditional events
in consideration of the FIS Masters World Criterium in March, a major event that only
comes to North America every 5 years.
A highlight this season is the Masters National DH Championship in our home division at Mammoth Mountain.
The US masters national championships are hosted this season in Central division
at Granite Peak, WI on Feb. 5-10. The Western Region championship/FIS Masters Cup races
will be held at Beaver Creek CO on Feb. 22-25. The international FIS Masters World Criterium
follows on Mar. 1-7 at Kimberly BC in Canada.
And last, but not least, for the first time since Covid interrupted everyone's plans in March 2020,
we have a season finals event with a banquet gathering planned so we can once again gather with our
racing friends at the end of our competition season.
[04-Sep-2023]
- Mammoth nationals cancelled, moved to Mt Bachelor
With just a week to go before the scheduled start of the 2023 Masters National Championships
at Mammoth, Mammoth Mountain made the decision that the event would have to be cancelled.
Mammoth Race Department met with the mountain operations team on Wed. Mar. 23 and after
extensive discussions the decision was made by Mountain Ops that it would not be
possible to properly support the event. The operations crews are challenged with an enormous
amount of work to reopen the mountain after the latest storms, and with another storm
arriving next week it will not be possible to prepare the race hills.
Any racers who had reservations with Mammoth Lodging or who had pre-purchased lift
tickets can receive full refunds. Mammoth is not able to reschedule our event this season.
The national masters committee met following the cancellation decision
and was offered an reschedule option by Rob Cravens of Pacific Northwest masters.
The PNW finals were already scheduled for Apr. 6-9 at Mt Bachelor Oregon, with two SG races
that are the Speed Series finale along with GS and SL races. PNW masters and the organizing
Mt Bachelor Ski Education Foundation (MBSEF) offered the option to expand their
existing event plans to accomodate the national championship. Acknowledging the
difficulty of changing schedule and travel plans for many competitors who had planned
to compete at Mammoth, it was agreed that a rescheduled nationals was better than nothing
and the Bachelor proposal was accepted.
The event announcement for the rescheduled Mt Bachelor national championships
has complete details on the schedule, registration, lift tickets, and lodging.
We've heard very positive feedback on the Bachelor race venue from our FW racers who
competed there in recent seasons - the hill is a lot of fun with some interesting
terrain. We encourage everyone who has the opportunity to consider heading to
Bend and Bachelor!! We haven't been able to hold many races this season in Far West
during this season of historic snowfall, so we now have one last chance to get out
for some racing fun.
[24-Mar-2023]
- Northstar SG races cancelled
Unfortunately, the Speed Series SG races at Northstar this Friday are cancelled.
Far West Masters and Northstar race department talked this afternoon; the consensus
is that with another warm, wet storm arriving Monday and not clearing out until
sometime Wednesday it will not be possible to prepare the race hill with just one day of
preparation time.
All of the Tahoe area resorts and Mammoth, along with their local communities,
have been heavily impacted by a significant "atmospheric river" (AR) storm
that arrived Thursday night and brought snow, rain, flooding, high winds, and numerous
road closures in both California and Nevada. Many communities have declared
a state of emergency to deal with the extraordinary conditions. There is very little break
with stormy conditions continuing through Wednesday, so our Sierra ski resorts
face major challenges as they resume operations.
[6pm 12-Mar-2023]
- Northstar and Nationals race info
We have two remainging events on our March race schedule.
On Friday Mar. 17, we have two SG races at Northstar, which are also
part of the 2023 masters National Speed Series.
And at the end of the month the 2023 national championships
will be held at Mammoth Mountain on Mar. 28-Apr. 2, featuring
the complete set of DH, SG, GS, and SL races.
Race registration for the Northstar SG races is open on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com.
The early registration deadline is Sun 3/12;
registration closes at 8pm PT Wed 3/15.
Northstar is an Epic pass resort; details on racer lift tickets will be provided when available.
The national championship entries are also available under our Far West Masters
race series on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com. Note that the GS races are
on two days - the younger men's groups A/B race on Friday 3/31 (men 18-64 - classes 1-8),
while the older men and women groups C/D race on Saturday 4/1 (men 64+ -classes 9-14, all women).
The event concludes with a banquet on Sunday evening (signup on ASR coming soone!)
The early registration deadline for nationals race entries is Mon 3/13.
Late fee of $10/race applies for entries after the early registration deadline.
Cancellation deadline for full refund is midnight Tue Mar. 21.
Refund for withdrawals after the cancellation deadline are at the discretion of the race
organizer (Mammoth Race Department), with consideration for injury, illness, or emergency.
Registration closes midnight Friday Mar. 24
[DATE_POSTED]
- Diamond Peak races cancelled
Regrets, but the decision has been made tonight to cancel this weekend's planned SL
races at Diamond Peak. (perhaps not surprising to any of us following the wild
weather over the past week and high confidence in another storm moving in by Saturday)
Diamond Peak coaches and staff met tonight after assessing conditions on the hill today
and the consensus was that it would be extremely difficult to prepare the race hill surface
by Saturday due to the large amounts of cold, dry, fresh snow received over the past few days.
Travel considerations were also a factor, with closures in the eastern Sierra on 395
due to avalanches remaining in effect and difficult travel around the Tahoe region
expected over the weekend.
Far West Skiing has also cancelled all junior races this weekend.
Far West Masters and Diamond Peak are actively exploring rescheduling options.
If Diamond Peak remains open in April, as may be possible given all the snow this season,
one option we are investigating is a possible reschedule in April as our season finals.
[2023-03-01]
- Diamond Peak SL races info
Our next races are a weekend of SL racing at Diamond Peak on Mar. 4-5.
It's been quite a few years since there was a masters race at Diamond Peak,
so it's exciting to have a returning venue back on our schedule.
We'll be racing on Showoff, accessed by the Lakeview quad chair
from the Diamond Peak base lodge.
The weekend schedule includes all-day training offered on Friday,
providing an opportunity for all to get on the race hill as well
as a training option for those who may not be participating
in one of the season training programs. Signup is online - $150
for lift + training. Please email coach Ryan Ritchie at masters@dpsef.org
on whether you will be there morning, afternoon, or all-day.
Race registration for both SL races is open on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com.
The early registration deadline is Sun 2/26;
registration closes at 8pm PT Thu 3/2.
Racer lift ticket, Friday training/lift, and Diamond Peak release waiver
must be completed online prior to the event - see the event announcement
for details and links. Racer lift ticket purchase deadline is Thursday 3/2.
Party time!!! We'll be having a post-race party Saturday 2-4:30 pm at Jiffy’s Pizza,
(in the Raleys Shopping Center facing Hwy 28).
Pizza and drinks, awards, scholarship athletes, raffle - don't miss it!!
[22-Feb-2023]
- Feb and March schedule
We're just past the midpoint of February and have a few more races coming up,
culminating in the National Championships hosted at Mammoth Mountain at the end of
March.
Next up on our race schedule is 2 days of SL racing at Diamond Peak on Mar. 4-5.
We're pulling together details and will get updated event announcement out tomorrow.
We'll be racing on Showoff, accessed by the Lakeview Quad out of the Diamond Peak
base lodge. And at last, the party is on again!! We have a post-race party
arranged on Saturday afternoon with food, awards, scholarship athletes, and raffle.
Our final scheduled FW race of the season will be a SG doubleheader day at
Northstar on Fri. Mar. 17. These races are also our Far West stop on the
2023 masters National Speed Series.
Last but certainly not least, Mammoth Mountain is hosting the 2023 Masters
National Championships on Mar. 17-Apr. 2. It's a special treat to have nationals
hosted in our division - this is always a great event and Mammoth is putting
on a 4-event championship, with the national championship DH followed by
SG-GS-SL races. If you're new to masters, don't be intimidated - nationals
features top-notch racing, but is also an opportunity to meet masters from
around the country. It's about challenging racing, creating and renewing friendships,
and parties every day.
All race signups are listed in the Far West Masters series on
masters.AdminSkiRacing.com.
If you need any help with the registration site or race signups, contact us
at raceadmin@farwestmasters.org for assistance.
[19-Feb-2023]
- Palisades Bernard Cup race photos
We're happy to be able to pass on info about race photos that were
taken at the Sunday Feb. 12 Bernard Cup races at Palisades Tahoe.
Photographer Peter Day has posted some great race photos on his site
(link below) and has very reasonable pricing to purchase images.
Photos are organized by run in chronological order. (Fun to check out if you're not one of the racers!)
If you have questions, contact Peter Day at peterdayphoto@gmail.com or by text at 864-551-5692.
Support Peter by buying some photos and encourage him to come back and shoot more of our races!
[19-Feb-2023]
- Palisades World Cup races
Coming up in less than two weeks is an exciting ski racing event in the Far West - Palisades Tahoe
is hosting the men's World Cup with GS and SL races on the weekend of Feb. 25-26.
This is a rare opportunity to see the best in world, up close and our our home ground,
so definitely consider making time to attend this event.
Racing will be on Red Dog, a fabled race venue, right in front of the base area village
at Olympic Valley. The schedule is GS on Saturday, SL on Sunday, along with concerts,
fireworks, and vendor village area, and more.
[15-Feb-2023]
- Mt Rose and Palisades GS races
It has certainly been an interesting and challenging winter for us in the Far West.
The weekend of Feb. 11-12 featured GS racing at Mt. Rose and Palisades (Olympic Valley)
with the McKinney Cup and Bernard Cup permanent trophies at stake.
Saturday's GS double-header on the Silver Dollar track at Mt Rose greeted racers
with fresh snow and inconsistent visibility, with fog lifting and dropping throughout
the morning. The race jury and crew delayed the race through the morning, hoping
that visibility and conditions would improve to the point that racing was possible,
but it was not to be.
The weather cleared and sunshine returned for Sunday's GS race at Palisades.
The race was moved from our usual race venue at the base of the mountain up
to a mid-mountain course on Motts, with the main race arena being prepared
for hosting men's World Cup races in two weeks on Feb. 25.26. (An iced-down track
suitable for World Cup racing is NOT a masters-friendly experience!)
While the conditions were good, competitors and crews were challenged by
communication problems that prevented posting times on live-timing as is usually done.
(local sources report the cell network was overwhelmed by the load from
the weekend crowd)
Regrettably it was not possible to announce the Bernard Cup trophy winners
immediately following the race, as is normally done. So belatedly we
congratulate the 2023 Bernard Cup winners - Carol Levine (W10) and Scott Malmsten (M09).
We are working on plans for a trophy presentation at a future event for both the
Viva Italia Cup trophies from the January Alpine SL races and the Bernard Cup,
so that we can congratulate the winners and celebrate with our racing peers.
Complete race results and the Bernard rankings are
posted on the web site on the Race Results page
along with the updated Season Standings rankings
for 2023 and the rankings under the age-handicap scoring system of the Bernard Cup.
(Note: we are exploring the possibility of rescheduling the McKinney Cup races
with Mt Rose, if we can work out the arrangements and a suitable date.)
[14-Feb-2023]
- Mt Rose and Palisades races info
After a weather-delayed start to the 2023 racing season, our calendar gets busy
with a GS-madness weekend on two of the best GS race venues in the Far West Division.
We will have back-to-back events on the weekend of Feb. 11-12, with a double-GS day
on Saturday 2/11 for the McKinney Cup event at Mt Rose followed by the Bernard Cup GS
at Palisades Tahoe (Olympic Valley) on Sunday 2/12.
** NOTE SCHEDULE CHANGES **
After considering feedback from racers and discussions among the organizers,
the Palisades Bernard Cup schedule has been changed from 2 GS races to 1 GS,
allowing more reasonable departure time for competitors travelling home on Sunday afternoon.
(or... watching the Super Bowl?!)
Note also that Palisades is preparing the main race arena venues for the men's World Cup Races on Feb. 25-26,
so our masters race will be held on the alternate venue of Motts (access from mid-mountain Siberia chair).
Race registration for both events is open on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com.
The early registration deadline is Sun 2/5;
registration closes at 8pm PT Thu 2/9.
Open class reminder: if you want to compete in Open class, contact scoring director
Deb Lewis at dlewis@farwestmasters.org no later than noon Friday 2/10.
Day-of-race Open class changes will not be accepted.
[03-Feb-2023]
- Alpine Viva Italia SL races
And finally we have racing to kick off the 2023 season! After losing
our scheduled races at Mammoth in both December and January and finally
emerging from the multi-week storm onslaught that started just before
the new year, the snow is deep, the sun came out, and we had beautiful
conditions for two SL races on Kangaroo at Alpine Meadows on Saturday Jan. 28.
In addition to being our season kickoff, these races were scored for the Viva Italia cup,
a combined award based on age handicapped total times. John Gianotti would have been
proud of the spirit of our racers carrying on his tradition. The 2023 Viva Italia winners were
Nancy Gieske (W08) and Tim Stewart (M10).
Due to the lateness of the awards party after a long day on the race hill, we were
unfortunately unable to announce the Viva Italia results for the trophy presentation
on Saturday, so congratulations to Nancy and Tim!
Complete race results and the Viva Italia rankings are
posted on the web site on the Race Results page
along with the first Season Standings rankings for 2023.
[02-Feb-2023]
- Alpine SL races info
It's been an amazing January in the Sierra, with several weeks
of the storm train rolling at full blast, so it's
a welcome change to have a week of clear weather setting up
just in time for our SL races at Alpine Meadows on Saturday Jan. 28.
Race registration for both SL races is open on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com.
The early registration deadline is Sun 1/22;
registration closes at 8pm PT Thu 1/26.
Open class reminder: if you want to compete in Open class, contact scoring director
Deb Lewis at dlewis@farwestmasters.org no later than noon Friday 1/27.
Day-of-race Open class changes will not be accepted.
[22-Jan-2023]
- Mammoth Jan GS/SL races cancelled
The snow has been nearly non-stop since the last week of December;
for over two weeks now the storm track has delivered repeated moisture-laden
AR (atmospheric river) storms straight into California and the Mammoth-Tahoe
region of the Sierra. Feet of snow, rinse and repeat.
We rarely cancel events prior to race day, as mountain weather is changeable
and the forecasts don't always turn out to be what happens. On relatively
rare occasions, however, we will declare a cancellation when there is no
reasonable likelihood to be able to hold the race or for competitors to
travel safely.
Sadly, this is one of those times. We will not be racing at Mammoth next
week on Jan. 20-22. The MLK holiday weekend is bringing more feet of snow over
multiple days. While it appears that the weather pattern will finally clear
by the middle of the week, there is no way to prepare the race surface in just
a few days after this much snow.
The next races on our schedule are two SL races at Alpine Meadows on Sat. Jan. 28.
February features the FIS Masters-Western Region Championships at Beaver Creek CO
on Feb. 2-5, followed by a packed weekend of GS doubleheaders on Feb. 11-12
at Mt Rose and Palisades Tahoe (Olympic Valley).
[14-Jan-2023]
- Mammoth Jan GS/SL races info
It's been a pretty wild couple weeks to kick off January here in the Far West.
A seemingly non-stop series of storms rolling through has brought rain, floods, and huge amounts
of snow to the Sierra. Late last week we made the sad decision that it would not
be possible to run the planned DH/SG races at Mammoth on Jan. 19-22 and changed
the event program to GS races on Fri-Sat and a SL race on Sun.
The event announcement and Schedule page information on the farwestmasters.org web site
have been updated and race signups on masters.AdminSkiRacing.com have been changed over.
Entries for the Fri DH and Sat-Sun SG races have been "carried over" with the
change to GS/SL. Everyone who was entered for the speed races was sent a notification
on Tuesday night about that change; entries can be dropped for anyone who will not
be coming with the changed event schedule.
Early registration deadline is Sun 1/15; registration closes
at 8pm PT Wed 1/18.
We will continue to monitor the weather forecasts and conditions outlook through
the coming MLK holiday weeked, with one more round of storms predicted and then
prospects for shifting back to a dryer pattern next week. If there is any additional news
to pass on we'll announce as soon as possible to assist everyone with their planning.
If you have any questions or need assistance, contact us at raceadmin@farwestmasters.org.
[11-Jan-2023]
- Mammoth DH/SG races changed to GS/SL
Well, happy new year, the Sierra is entering January with the storm door
wide open to a continuing series of major winter storms that started over the New Year's
holiday weekend and a week later is still rolling. More snow than we know what to do with!
We are now within two weeks from the planned DH/SG races on Jan. 19-22 and
the weather forecasts have several more strong storms lined up for the coming week.
Regrettably, the prospects for a weather break that would allow the necessary
preparations for a speed venue just isn't in the outlook. In addition, few of us have
had any opportunity for speed training before what would be our first races
of the season.
Following discussions with Mammoth Race Department, Far West Masters organizers,
and masters program coaches, we are going to change the event plan to three days
of racing - GS on Friday and Saturday, SL on Sunday.
We'll get additional details out next week and change the race signups on
the masters.AdminSkiRacing.com registration site to match the new program. If you have
already signed up for the DH/SG races, we'll be in touch on logistics of whether
we'll carry over those signups or just start fresh for everyone.
[05-Jan-2023]
- Mammoth races cancelled
Unfortunately our season opening GS-SL races at Mammoth had to be cancelled.
The week turned stormy with a strong storm that took out Thursday's final training camp day
and made travel difficult for those not yet on site, while the forecasts converged on
a second multi-day storm moving in on Saturday through the weekend.
Fortunately for those here, the fallback option was a beautiful powder day on Friday in the
short break between storms. With 2+ ft of fluffy new snow at Main (and 30" reported at the summit),
there was no way that the race hill could have been prepared. Patrol and mountain operations
had a lot to do just to get the mountain dug out and open.
We appreciate Mammoth's efforts to put on our opening races, but the weather won this round.
[02-Dec-2022]
- 2023 Open Class
Far West Masters races are conducted following the standard US masters age class rules.
An additional option is used by Far West Masters in our division races, allowing competitors to elect to be
scored in an Open class drawn from all age classes rather than their age class for race awards and season scoring.
All competitors start within their age group in the race start order but may choose to be
scored for race awards based on the overall ranking of Open class participants rather than within their age class.
The season leader bibs are awarded based on the rankings of the Open class.
The 2023 Open class elections list is started with all current season bib holders registered by default.
Everyone else (including "the usual folks") need to explicitly elect to participate in Open class.
It's your choice - no one is obligated or expected to elect Open class - go Open if you'll have fun doing that,
stay in your age class for scoring and awards if you're happy with the standard age class system.
To elect Open class, contact scoring director Deb Lewis at dlewis@farwestmasters.org.
Open class participants will be noted on start lists and when possible on the finish board so that
all competitors know who is competing within their age class and who is being scored in the overall Open class.
IMPORTANT REMINDER:
to participate in the Open class for any event, you MUST elect Open
no later than the noon the day prior to the race.
Day-of-race Open class changes will not be accepted
[28-Nov-2022]
- Schedule Updates
The season schedule published in October has been updated with a correction for one event along
with a new event added on Mar. 3-4 at Diamond Peak.
Apologies for the mistake on our originally published schedule, due to a miscommunication
we had the dates and disciplines incorrectly posted for the Bernard Cup races at Palisades Tahoe (Olympic Valley).
The races will be two GS races on Sunday Feb. 12 (the original dates of Jan. 7-8 were incorrect).
This will be a leg-burner weekend on two outstanding GS venues, with the McKinney Cup GSx2 races
on Saturday Feb. 11 followed by the Bernard Cup GSx2 races at Palisades on Sunday Feb. 12.
We're very pleased to announce that we have added a new event to the schedule
with a weekend of two SL races at Diamond Peak on Mar. 4-5. It's been quite a few years since
masters raced at Diamond Peak so it's exciting that this event came together to add to our
race calendar.
REMINDERS: Membership signup and registration for the Dec. 2-3 Mammoth opening weekend races
are open on our new masters.AdminSkiRacing.com (ASR) registration site.
Renewal deadline for Far West Masters membership is Sun Nov. 20, so
if you haven't gotten around to renewing your membership get it done before late renewal fees kick in!
Dec Mammoth race registration is also open on ASR - early registration deadline is Sun 11/27;
registration closes
at 8pm PT Wed 11/30.
The 3-day Mammoth training camp preceding the races is on for Tue-Wed-Thu - see the camp information
announcement for details.
[19-Nov-2022]
- Mammoth Dec races and camp
Winter has arrived with a solid early-season storm dumping on the Sierra this week
and our opening event of the 2022-2023 Far West Masters season is coming up soon.
We have Fri/Sat GS/SL races at Mammoth Mountain on Dec. 2-3, the week following
the Thanksgiving holiday. Mammoth is hosting a 3-day GS/SL masters training camp
on Tue-Wed-Thu Nov. 29-Dec. 1 prior to the races, so that's a good opportunity
to get on skis and get in some preseason race training to get warmed up.
See the event info announcement and training camp flyer for additional details.
Mammoth is offering a discounted lodging package for camp week and race weekend.
Race signups are now open on our new masters.AdminSkiRacing.com registration site.
Early registration deadline is Sun 11/27; registration closes
at 8pm PT Wed 11/30.
You can sign up for the races and purchase your 2023 Far West Masters membership if you haven't
already done so. This is a different site than we have used in previous seasons, so everyone
will need to create an account in order to sign up.
Our registration policies for late fees,
entry deadlines, DNS and cancellation are the same as they have been for many season, but
please take a few minutes to review the FWM Race Registration description.
Entry fees for races are charged when the event is held, so you can register or drop without penalty
anytime up until the close of registration. All entries as of close of registration will be charged
the race entry fee until refund granted by the race organizer.
[07-Nov-2022]
- Fall Forerunner newsletter
The fall issue of the Forerunner newsletter is out!
The President's Update message from Ray Tulloch describes the
latest news we have on plans for the upcoming ski season.
This issue also includes other information about membership
and the season schedule plans.
If you haven't already, take a quick look at the article on
Membership Renewal, which has a lot of helpful tips on how to get started
on our new registration service at masters.AdminSkiRacing.com.
Note: the primary distribution method of the Forerunner newsletter will
be electronic publishing through our news email list and here on the web site.
All current members of Far West Masters should receive the newsletter. If you
have any questions, contact us at forerunner@farwestmasters.org for assistance.
[23-Oct-2022]
- Season Schedule and Membership
Get ready for the 2022-2023 Far West Masters race season!!
The 2023 season schedule is posted on farwestmasters.org
on the Season Schedule page.
Far West Masters membership will open in October on our new
registration site masters.AdminSkiRacing.com and
race signups will open in November.
2023 Membership Reminders
-
U.S. Ski & Snowboard Membership
- US Ski & Snowboard membership renewal deadline is October 15.
Late fee of $25 charged on renewals after that date. (late fee does not apply to new members)
- Most masters should select the "Alpine Master" membership type.
Do NOT select the "Alpine Master w/ requirements" membership type unless you are
required to have SafeSport training and background checks due to your engagement with junior athletes
through a US Ski & Snowboard club role and do not already have through Official or Coach license.
- Most masters should select "No Club Affiliation" for the US Ski & Snowboard club affiliation.
Do NOT select the club at the area where you ski and train unless you are actually a member - the clubs
are generally associated only with junior alpine competitor programs. (e.g. the Mammoth and Palisades Tahoe masters
programs are NOT affiliated with the USSS club)
- Your Far West Masters membership is IN ADDITION to your US Ski & Snowboard Alpine Master membership.
Your FWM membership dues supports organizing our division race calendar and provides you with a permanent
race bib for all our Far West masters races.
- Far West masters membership is not required for first-time racers or competitors from other divisions.
We will provide a temporary bib for your use.
[10-Oct-2022]
- Preliminary 2023 Schedule
The preliminary 2022-2023 race schedule is now available! Scheduling Director Mike Braun
has tried to put together a calendar with a good mix of events at proven venues.
A highlight this season will be the opportunity to compete in the Masters National Championships in
our home division at Mammoth Mountain.
The Western Region championship/FIS Masters Cup races will be held at Beaver Creek CO on Feb. 2-5.
The US masters national championships are planned for Mammoth Mountain CA on Mar. March 28-Apr 2.
Mammoth will host a 4-event national championship event with DH, SG, GS, and SL.
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[28-Sep-2023]
- Introducing AdminSkiRacing
Far West Masters is moving a new site this season for membership and race entries.
SkiRaceReg.com brought us into the online registration world in 2012, providing
us with a much-needed service to streamline the race entry process for both racers
and organizers. System operator Doug Briggs is retiring (some silly reason
about wanting more time to go skiing and racing) and we are grateful for the
decade of fantastic support that he provided.
This season our registration service will transition to AdminSkiRacing (ASR).
This site was used last season by New England and Mid-Atlantic Masters and this
season most other masters divisions will be moving to ASR.
We have a lot of work to do to transition to the new registration site and update
all the information here on farwestmasters.org, so please be patient!
We expect to have membership signups open by mid-October and race signups by early November.
[29-Sep-2022]
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